


Crazy Random Happenstances

by RoyHankins



Series: Fluffy Ace Attorney Fics [7]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Agender Character, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Other, Polyamory, Post-Gyakuten Saiban 6 | Spirit of Justice, Trans Male Apollo Justice, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:48:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29418177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyHankins/pseuds/RoyHankins
Summary: Phoenix and Maya are working a new case, when they run into a new detective.Apollo and Trucy and having a big of a sibling reconnection when he happens upon an old friend.Athena and Juniper are on a concert date when the people they sit next to turn out to be more than a little interesting.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Harukawa Maki, Akamatsu Kaede/Harukawa Maki/Momota Kaito/Saihara Shuichi, Ayasato Mayoi | Maya Fey/Karuma Mei | Franziska von Karma, Hinata Hajime/Nanami Chiaki, Kidzuki Kokone | Athena Cykes/Morizumi Shinobu | Juniper Woods, Kirigiri Kyoko/Naegi Makoto, Naegi Makoto/Togami Byakuya
Series: Fluffy Ace Attorney Fics [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599235
Kudos: 8





	Crazy Random Happenstances

“Let’s see,” Maya muttered, walking down the apartment hallway with a skip in her step. “345, 347, there it is! 349.” She went to open the door, but it didn’t budge, no matter how hard Maya tugged on the doorknob.

Since it was Maya, Phoenix didn’t feel the need to resist rolling his eyes at her. “It’s a crime scene. But Edgeworth said someone would be here, and they’d let us in if we knocked, remember?”

It felt odd, explaining things like that to Maya again. He used to have to do it all the time, back in his first few years as an attorney. But things had changed. He was a father now, and she was the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique.

Still, that didn’t mean her schedule was completely full, and sometimes she elected to come back and join Phoenix on a case.

Maya buried a giggle and put on the deepest voice she could muster as she knocked on the door. “This is the police! Open up!”

While they waited for the investigator inside to do as she’d asked, Phoenix felt the need to admonish her. “Maya, you’re almost in your thirties. Do you have to keep doing things like that?”

Her immediate response was to stick out her tongue at him. “C’mon, Nick! I had to spend  _ two years _ in Khura’in, trying to behave myself! And at home, I’ve got to be all important. So when I’m with you...” her voice trailed off, and Phoenix realized what she was trying to say.

“...it’s your chance to unwind a little,” he finished. For just a second, looking at Maya, he saw the mental maturity she was trying to pretend wasn’t there, what made her so different from the seventeen year old he first met in the Detention Center.

The door finally opened, and someone they didn’t know was on the other side. “...” She was eye-catching, to say the least. With long white hair, piercing lavender eyes, and the strange match of a professionally tailored suit jacket and tie with a black miniskirt, this was someone Phoenix wouldn’t have to worry about losing in a crowd.

She also wasn’t saying anything. “Hey there! We’re Ms. Trotten’s lawyers, and we’ve got permission to investigate the scene of the crime!” Maya said, sounding perky, completely ignoring the stone-faced reaction she was getting from the woman.

The investigator stood aside, letting them into the apartment, but she didn’t say anything still. Yet she also wasn’t going back to doing whatever she’d been up to beforehand, she was staring at the newcomers. “Uh,” Phoenix said, feeling embarrassed. “I’m Phoenix Wright? And this is Maya Fey?”

For just a second, he felt a sense that the woman was pleased he’d said that, though she hadn’t smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I’m Kyoko Kirigiri, and I was hired by Ms. Francesca’s father to find her.”

The victim of this case was their client’s girlfriend, who had suddenly gone missing. When Dawn Trotten had reported the crime, the police arrested her as the suspicious party, and were prosecuting her with kidnapping and several other related crimes. Phoenix was sure the morose girl wasn’t to blame, however, which was why he’d taken on her defense.

But this was interesting. This Kirigiri woman clearly wasn’t a member of the police, and she’d just been hired to find the victim, even though many people were starting to think she’d really been murdered, her corpse hidden. “So you think she’s still alive?” Maya asked.

Nothing on Kyoko’s impassive face suggested her feelings on the matter. “Her father does.” She seemed to think that was a good enough answer. The detective pulled out a cell phone, frowning a little at something she saw on its screen. “I’m going to be called as a witness tomorrow, but you should know I’m not on the prosecution’s side.”

“Yes!” Maya cheered, pumping a fist.

“I’m not on your side, either.” Kyoko’s response dulled Maya’s enthusiasm a little. “I’m here to find out the truth, whatever that ends up being.” She was looking into Phoenix’s eyes, and he had to repress the urge to shiver. Something about them reminded him of Apollo’s, of Trucy’s. Like she could see so much more about him than he could see of her. Then, she looked back at her phone and muttered, “Where is he?”

Seconds after finishing that sentence, someone came through the still open door. “Sorry!” came the cute voice of a fairly nondescript looking young man with unruly brown hair. In fact, as Phoenix looked at him, he realized the only noteworthy thing about the boy was that he was wearing a suit jacket over a hoodie, but even that wasn’t totally unheard of. Weird, young people fashion.

Oh, and he was carrying two disposable cups full of coffee, and Kyoko quickly walked up to him and took one from his hands. “If you’re going to be late, let me know.”

“I wanted to!” he exclaimed. “But my, well, my hands were full...”

Kyoko sighed. “You can put the coffee down to message me, Makoto.”

“Sooo...” Maya said, singsong, looking over at the two with clear interest. “Who’s this, Kyoko?”

With a flippant gesture, she said, “He’s my ex-boyfriend, and he’s just here to bring me coffee.”

The answer seemed to deflate Maya a little, but it made Makoto shake his head, exasperated. “Kyoko, I told you to stop telling people that.” Even though her lips didn’t twitch, Phoenix could see a sparkle of laughter in her eyes from his reply. Looking at Phoenix and Maya, Makoto put his free hand on his chest and explained, “I’m Makoto Naegi, and I’m Kyoko’s fiancé.”

Just from their looks, Phoenix had to guess they were at least ten years younger than him, probably around the same age he was when he first passed the bar exam. “Congrats,” he told them, trying not to feel old.

Makoto grinned at that, a blush on his cheeks, and Phoenix immediately saw what Kyoko liked in the kid. He had a kind of glow around him, an aura that just brought happiness and hope to the people around him. He was about to say something, when a buzzing sound started coming from his clothes. Pulling out his phone, Makoto winced and told Kyoko, “It’s Byakuya. I should answer.”

The investigator nodded, but before Makoto went back into the hall she put a hand on his shoulder and told him, “Be sure to remind him that it’s  **my** day with you.” Like an eager puppy, Makoto nodded his head then scampered out to take the call.

“So...who is Byakuya?” Maya asked, clearly invested in whatever was going on there.

With a tone of complete nonchalant-ness, Kyoko told her, “Byakuya Togami, heir to the Togami Corporation and Makoto’s boyfriend.” Maya and Phoenix looked at each other, then back at the detective. She sighed, and further elaborated, “We’re polyamorous. I’m engaged to Makoto, Makoto and Byakuya are dating, Byakuya and I are very much not.” She said the last part with a vehement undercurrent to her words that reminded Phoenix for a second of a certain whip-happy prosecutor. “Now, if we’re done discussing my love life, I’m going to enjoy this coffee and then get back to work. You two did come here to investigate too, right?”

Kyoko walked away from them, and Phoenix decided to follow her lead and start looking around the living room for clues. “Polyamory...” Maya muttered. “Hey Nick, do you think...”

As her voice trailed off, Phoenix already knew what she was thinking. “Ask Franziska if you want, Maya. I just don’t know how willing your wife will be to share you.”

* * *

“Let’s see,” Trucy hummed, eyes running along the buildings around them, searching for something though Apollo knew not what.

The young attorney tried not to sound impatient when he said, “Trucy, did you actually have somewhere around here you wanted to take me, or...” He had to ask, since thus far it had felt like she was just randomly walking around a shopping district with him.

He was back in the States on vacation, now that he’d managed to clear enough cases from his docket to make that feasible. Plus, after what Trucy had found out about her and him, it felt important to come back and spend some time with her.

“Ooh, there! They make amazing ice cream, Polly, and they opened after you left!” Having ditched her magician outfit for once, Trucy skipped along in more normal (though still blue) attire and Apollo tred after her, wearing his own more casual clothes. The red hoodie had been with him a long time, and it reminded him of the person who gave it to him.

Opening the front doors to the ice cream parlor sounded a bell, and a voice from behind the counter called, “Just a minute!”

They weren’t the only ones in the shop, there were two people in line ahead of them. They were both around Apollo’s age, one in a dark blue hoodie looking intently at the various types of ice cream available, and the other...

The other was a young man in a white button-up shirt and tie, with wild brown hair that stuck up sharply on top. Apollo blinked, unsure if he was really seeing who he thought he was. Deciding to test the waters, he hesitantly asked, “Hajime?”

The boy immediately turned around, and Apollo lost his breath. It was really him. His old friend looked just as surprised, and quickly asked the clerk behind the counter, “Sorry, one second,” and grabbed the person he was with by the hand, pulling them with him as he came up to Apollo and Trucy. “Apollo?”

Apollo started blinking, trying to stop the tears from coming. They stood a foot apart, seemingly unsure about what to do. Hajime started to reach out a hand, but Apollo was already moving in for a hug, one the other boy returned tightly. When they pulled away, Trucy was clearly interested in what was going on. “Polly, who’s this?”

“Trucy, this is Hajime Hinata,” Apollo explained. “We went to middle school together.” That was true, but it was underselling it a bit. Apollo hadn’t exactly been the most social kid back then, and Hajime was one of the only friends he had. Him and...

Putting on a true performer’s smile, Trucy bounced on one foot and told them, “Hi, friends of Apollo! I’m Trucy Wright, magician extraordinaire and Apollo’s little sister!”

That revelation surprised Hajime, judging by how much his eyes widened. Putting a hand on his companion’s shoulder, Hajime explained, “Chiaki, this is Apollo Justice. Apollo, this is my partner, Chiaki Nanami.”

Chiaki looked sleepy, but they gave Apollo a lazy smile and said, “It’s nice to meet you. Hajime’s told me a lot about you.” They yawned, and asked, “Want to get ice cream first? Then we can eat together while you catch up.” Everyone agreed to that, and after waiting through putting their bowls together and paying, they sat at a table outside, enjoying the cool Fall weather.

“So, a sister?” Hajime asked, having not yet touched his butter pecan. “Maybe I’m not remembering correctly, but I thought you told me in middle school you only had a brother, and he lived overseas.”

Wincing, Apollo ran a hand over his slicked back hair, taking care not to mess up his horns. “It’s...a long story.” He took a quick bite of his mint chocolate chip ice cream, mentally admitting that Trucy had picked a good ice creamery, before asking, “What about you? I haven’t heard from you in ages.”

Hajime and Chiaki looked at each other, and Apollo felt like they were having some kind of weird silent conversation. It always kind of bugged him that couples sometimes learned how to do that, though maybe only because it had never happened with him. “That’s also a long story,” Chiaki said, between spoonfuls of death by chocolate.

“Let’s just say our high school reunion went with a tropical island theme and it went...kind of weird.” The idea sounded strange all on its own, to Apollo. What kind of high school would do an island for a reunion? Apollo had just thrown his high school’s reunion invitation in the trash.

Unable to stop himself, Apollo’s keen eyes drifted up to Hajime’s unruly hair. Cracking a smile, he said, “I’m sorry, but...it blows my mind that you  _ still _ wear your hair like that.” Looking at Chiaki, he asked, “Have you tried brushing it for him?”

“Hm wmm lmm mm,” they said through the spoon in their mouth, which Apollo was pretty sure meant, ‘He won’t let me’.

Looking just a little embarrassed, Hajime fired back, “That’s funny, considering you’re  _ still _ gelling your bangs into horns.”

Trucy gasped and set down her rocky road. “He did that in middle school?! Do you have pictures? I want to see baby Apollo!”

Before Apollo could object, Hajime was already beaming and promising, “If I can get your email address later, I’ll make sure to dig them up and send them to you.” Then Hajime’s smile turned a little more fond, and he said, “I can’t believe you’re wearing that sweatshirt I bought you. How does it even still fit?”

If anyone claimed that Apollo was pouting, he would deny it. He was just frowning, really hard. “It’s not my fault that puberty stuck me in a Men’s Small and kept me there.” He kept grumbling about his dumb body chemistry under his breath.

“I can still remember it,” Hajime said, and the nostalgia in his voice made Apollo want to smile too. “We’d gone to help you pick out a binder, and I saw how you were looking at the hoodie.” Looking at Chiaki, who had somehow already finished their ice cream and had pulled out a portable game console, Hajime explained, “Apollo only had just enough money saved for what he’d come for, but I could tell he wanted the hoodie too, so I got it for him.”

Looking at her big brother, Trucy said, “That sounds like it was a really fun day.”

“It was,” Hajime replied, leaning back in the patio chair. “Me and Clay, taking our friend out to shop.” The name’s effect was instant. The rising hope fell into despair, and even Trucy’s top tier poker face visibly fell. Hajime looked between the two of them, confused. “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t know. They’d been out of contact for so long, Apollo was so bad at catching up with his friends, and because of that Hajime didn’t know. Mouth suddenly dry, Apollo did his best to say what he had to. “You know that long story I mentioned? Well, part of it has to do with Clay. He, well he passed away last year.” He hated saying it.

Apollo hated seeing the shock in Hajime’s eyes. The disbelief. That brief moment where the floor fell out from under him, and his old friend had to realize he was living in a different world than he thought he was. “Clay’s...dead?” Chiaki put one of their hands on his, and for a second they just squeezed, trying to anchor Hajime in the present a little.

This wasn’t a good place to talk about it. “Why don’t we head to my office?” Trucy asked somberly.

Chiaki looked at her and gave a serious nod. “That’s a good idea.” They all got up, and Hajime walked with an arm around Chiaki’s shoulder, like he was using them for support. They’d all barely made it a block when Chiaki, who had been looking up from their game and over their shoulder every so often, whispered, “Try not to look, but they’re following us.”

Living in the transition between regime’s had instilled some definite survival paranoia in Apollo, and he felt his body tense a little at what they’d said. “Who is ‘they’?”

“Nagito Komaeda,” Haime said, wincing. “They...shouldn’t be a problem. They haven’t been violent yet.” If that was supposed to be reassuring, it didn’t do much for Apollo.

“A stalker?” Apollo asked.

Hajime nodded. “We went on  _ one date _ , and ever since they won’t stop following me.”

“Actually,” Chiaki said, sounding bored, their finger flying across the buttons on their game, “it was four dates.”

Trucy faked a yawn, then asked, “White hair? Kind of looks homeless?” Both the people familiar with Nagito nodded. With a brilliant smile, Trucy said, “Well, even if I’m in plain clothes today, I’m still a magician. And today, I’ve got three wonderful assistants. I think I can pull off a disappearing act.”

Five minutes later, they were well on the Wright Anything Agency, and Nagito had no clue how they’d lost them. Must have been their luck. Still, it always came back for them. There were two almost completely full bowls of ice cream on that table! And one had been Hajime’s! They started eating it, feeling unworthy to share an indirect kiss with the object of their affections.

* * *

“Let’s see,” Juniper whispered, looking around the hall for their seats.

Somehow, someway, she and Athena had actually won tickets to go and see  **the** Ibuki Mioda, live! She was so excited! “[Excited!]” Widget chirped from around her neck, displaying the bright green joy icon.

It was her girlfriend who had the tickets, and finally led Athena to their seats. They weren’t in a great spot, middle of the venue to one side, right up against a wall, but it was a miracle to be there at all. There were two people sitting there, one right next to where Athena was to sit and another two spaces away, with one empty seat between them. “Excuse us,” Juniper quietly said as they squeezed through to sit down.

At Junie’s suggestion, they’d gotten there an hour early, and even then the place still felt almost completely packed. While Junie seemed a bit nervous about being near the strangers, Athena thought they looked neat. She offered a hand to the girl next to her and said, “Hi! I’m Athena, and this is my girlfriend Juniper.” Then, once again speaking without her permission, Widget chimed in, “[She’s the cutest!]” with a bright pink display.

When stuff like that happened around Mr. Wright or Trucy, Athena would get embarrassed, but with strangers she felt no shame in proclaiming how adorable her girlfriend was. She’d come in her cute, cottagecore aesthetic clothes, sunhat and all, while Athena had just worn her work stuff.

Grinning brightly, the girl next to her said, “Nice to meet you both! I’m Kaede, and she’s Maki. We’re waiting on a boyfriend and a partner to show up.” Kaede, Athena had to admit, was pretty cute.

Short blonde hair, and wearing some kind of dark blue school uniform that Athena didn’t recognize, Kaede reminded her a lot of Trucy, just kind of radiating a positive energy that made Athena smile.

The same was not true for the other girl. With a face serious enough to go toe-to-toe with Simon’s, she had intimidating bright red eyes, and her slightly more formal school clothes gave her a more distant vibe. “...”

Since she seemed to prefer silence, Athena directed her attention back to Kaede. “So, you’re both big Ibuki fans?”

Maki looked away, while Kaede seemed happy to field the question. “I’m not, actually, but Maki is!” Then, Kaede looked over and grinned in a way that looked a bit more than friendly to Athena. Like, kinda flirty.

The stoic girl idly started playing with one of her long pigtails, and said, “I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan, I just like some of Ibuki’s albums.” Pointing over to Kaede, she added, “They bought the tickets, though.”

If that bothered Kaede, they didn’t show it. “Well, you bought me tickets to that symphony last month, so it was the least I could do for you.” Something about the affection in their voice made Athena pretty sure it wasn’t just a tit-for-tat.

Looking back over at her girlfriend, Athena was expecting Junie to be stressed out, maybe even needing to get a breather before the concert started. Instead, she was staring at Kaede, recognition in her eyes. “Are you...” Juniper said, clearly trying to speak up at least a little. “...K-K-Kaede Akamatsu?”

The name rang a vague bell for Athena, but seeing Kaede’s eyes go wide and dart around, while Maki suddenly looked dangerously intense, they whispered, “Yes, but please don’t say that any louder. We’re trying to be incognito.” Then, the cute girl winked at them. A few seats away, Maki’s glare was radiating a killing intent that backed up the request pretty well.

“We promise we won’t, right Junie?” Her girlfriend nodded with her, and that seemed to mollify the two. Scratching at a cheek, Athena decided to just ask what was on her mind. “But, uh, what is it you do?”

The fact that Athena hadn’t really heard of them seemed to make Kaede happy, while Juniper helpfully whispered an explanation. “K-Kaede’s a world-class pianist, even though they’re only a high schooler. I really love t-t-their online albums, they’re so soothing.”

“Aw!” Kaede replied, beaming. “Thank you!” But then a blush crept onto their cheeks. “You don’t have to say that though. I’m okay, but I think ‘world-class’ is stretching it a little far.” Considering that Junie was normally pretty oblivious to famous people, Athena guessed that Kaede was trying to tone down how famous they were.

Maki was ready to support that argument. “It’s not an exaggeration and you know it. You have the potential to be the best pianist in the world.” The way Maki said it, she was just stating an obvious fact.

It made Kaede tear up a little anyway, and they leaned over and planted a quick kiss on Maki’s cheek, while reaching out with one hand to put it over hers. Maki blushed, and Athena tried to quickly sort out what happened. Hadn’t they said they were waiting on a partner and a boyfriend?

The answer dawned on her just as someone shouted out, “Hey, quit screwin’ around! You too can’t be all cute without us, that’s not fair!” The loud, brash voice came from a tall teenage boy with a goatee, wearing a fairly nice button-up dress shirt over a plain red one. He was dragging behind him with one hand someone who looked like they were doing their best to be as nondescript as possible. A black baseball cap and black suit almost made them look like they were attending a wedding.

As the two took their seats, the one in black between Kaede and Maki while the loud one sat on Maki’s other side, Kaede laughed and said, “Oh please, like you two  _ weren’t _ being cute on your way here.”

The tall guy frowned. “We weren’t! Me and Shuichi were being manly.” Then he coughed. “And maybe kissing a little too, I guess.”

“Um,” the one in dark clothes mumbled, looking awkward, just as the girls gave the tall guy a Look.

Rubbing a hand through his fuschia hair, he said, “Aw crap, sorry Shuichi. I’m still gettin’ used to that. You can belt me one later.”

That actually made the person that Athena was pretty sure was named Shuichi smile a little. “I’m not going to hit you, Kaito, I know it’ll take time for you to get used to it.”

Maki still looked annoyed though. “I still think he needs a punishment, or he won’t learn.”

Tapping a finger to their chin, Kaede nodded. “I think you’re right. No kisses for Kaito until the end of the concert.” Maki nodded an assent to the idea.

“What?!” Kaito exploded. Looking from one girl to the other, and seeing they looked to be staying firm on that resolution, he started pleading, “Kaede, Maki-Roll, seriously?”

The cute disagreement continued from there, with Shuichi protesting the idea and even kissing Kaito to make it clear they forgave him, while Athena turned her attention to her girlfriend, who had also been watching the spectacle.

“Junie,” Athena said, her voice serious. “These are four queer, poly teenagers our age. And they seem  _ very _ cool. We have to be friends with them.” Putting on her Serious Student face, Juniper nodded, and right before the concert finally started and the rock star they’d been waiting for came out on stage to rock, Athena made sure to trade phone numbers and emails with them all.

The concert was even more crazy than they could have anticipated, but the real shock came from going home and looking up her new friends online.

It seemed that Kaede wasn’t the only famous one. Athena had somehow gone four for four in befriending celebrities.

Considering he’d refused to go to another rock concert after ‘what happened last time’, Athena was ready to hold this awesomeness over Apollo’s pointy head for the rest of her life.

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't originally going to be as queer as it is, but fuck it, I've been enjoying writing more gender diversity in my fics.
> 
> Here are some extra details I came up with for this universe's version of the Danganronpa cast:  
> Makoto (he/him, 23), house boyfriend for both partners  
> Kyoko (she/her, 23), private detective, ended up patching things up with her dad, on her terms  
> Hajime (he/him, 24), office worker, does not like speaking about what happened at Jabberwock Island  
> Chiaki (they/them, 24), accountant, actually survived high school, gender is less interesting that games for them  
> Nagito (they/them, 24), ?????, still lucky, still obsessed with Hajime  
> Kaede (she/they, 17), world famous pianist, the unofficial head of the polycule  
> Maki (she/her, 17), professional stunt performer for Hollywood movies, loves all her partners more than she is willing to admit, frequently the center of a cuddle pile  
> Kaito (he/him, 17), actor on several hit television shows, well known online personality, absolute himbo the other three drool over  
> Shuichi (they/them, 17), private detective known for solving several famous cold cases, was too nervous to come out as nonbinary until their partners starting supporting them


End file.
